In 2007, Two Beers Brewing Head Brewer Joel VandenBrink turned his hobby into his passion. After several years on homebrewing in his kitchen – with nothing more than a five-gallon stockpot – Joel took a leap of faith. In five years, Two Beers Brewing has more than quadrupled its size, now producing eleven unique beers in its SoDo brewery and tasting room.
TIMELINE
- August 2007:
- Joel sets up shop in a 170 square-foot ActivSpace along Highway 99 in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood. With just two burners and two 27-gallon fermenters, he founded Two Beers Brewing. However, with no license to sell, he spent his first year perfecting many of the recipes Two Beer Brewing fans have come to know and love.
- June 2008:
- Growler fill-ups and kegs hit the market, with the first keg going to Park Pub in Phinney Ridge – a 20:20 Blonde. With growing interest, Joel moved a few spaces down to a new ActivSpace garage, upgrading to 340-square-feet. With copper piping lining the walls, Two Beers Brewing produced 100 barrels its first year.
- December 2008:
- With just $17 in its bank account, Two Beers Brewing hired its first employee. Tyler Pickel, now a brewer and owner, joined the team with an extensive knowledge of hops, having been born into a fourth-generation hop farm.
- February 2009:
- On February 7, Two Beers Brewing purchased its first delivery vehicle – a Chevy Astro Van, lovingly named “Brutus.”
- March 2009:
- With sales tripling in less than a year, Two Beers Brewing needed more space – something that could house three 250-gallon tanks, one 1,000-gallon tank, cellar and a tasting room – and moved its full operation into its current 2,400 sq. ft. SoDo brewery and tasting room. The brewery quickly reached 470 barrels sold in its second year.
- December 2010:
- Sales continued to climb, reaching more than 300 tap handles and 1,000 barrels sold.
- February 2011:
- The inaugural bottling of Two Beers Brewing’s first line of 22-ounce bottles was a success. The first bottles – housing Evolutionary IPA and Persnickety Pale Ale – went to Full Throttle Bottles in SoDo. They can now be found across Washington state and Northern Idaho at retail locations such as Whole Foods, Central Market, 99 Bottles and more.
- June 2011:
- Two Beers Brewing became the first Washington craft brewery to distribute 12-ounce cans. Available in three styles, the cans hit the market and became an instant hit, now available at Whole Foods, Central Markets, select bottle shops and more.
- November 2011:
- Two Beers Brewing doubled its current space to 4,800 sq. ft. The new space features a dedicated tasting room, twelve taps, eight dedicated growler filling stations and room for 18 additional 1,000-gallon tanks.
- December 2011:
- With expanded brewing capacity, Two Beers Brewing produced more than 3,000 barrels in 2011 and expects to be producing 4,000 barrels per year by the end of 2012.
